1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surgical instruments and, more specifically, to a suture passing instrument and a method of passing suture in arthroscopic tissue repair procedures and/or mini-open procedures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Both open and endoscopic surgical procedures often require sutures to ligate, join or otherwise treat tissue. Generally, suture needles with attached suture strands are grasped either manually or by forceps and passed through the desired work site so a knot can be tied. While the procedures are fairly uncomplicated in open surgery where most suture sites are readily accessible, in endoscopic procedures, where access to the work site is not readily available, the surgeon must use auxiliary devices to be able to grasp the suture strands and pass them through desired tissue.
Various instruments and techniques have been developed and are known for surgical repairs requiring the passing of sutures to distant locations. However, there is a need for an improved device and technique that enables the surgeon to pass sutures arthroscopically to an internal body part where the work site is only accessible through a small portal or cannula and it is difficult to pass sutures within the body.
There is also a need for a suture passing instrument that may operated by one-hand, provides maximum comfort and ease of use, and is ideal for single row, double row or margin convergence.